www.alexmcleodspeedway.com
ALEX'S NEWS DATES AND MEETING DIARY FOR 2008 ( 2007 archive here)
Sunday 13th January - Newport Rained off
Saturday 12th January - Sittingbourne Rained off
Sunday 13th January - Newport Rained off
Saturday 19th January - Mildenhall Postponed
Sunday 20th January - Sittingbourne Training
Saturday 26th January - Scunthorpe Amateur Race Meeting -
Alex had a good day at Normanby Road finishing 8th, scoring 8 points and coming 2nd in the C final. He rode the track well and was pleased that he was beating Conference & Premier league riders from the gate.
Sunday 27th January - Newport
We initially started the session on the new GM longstroke motor but, not finding the right set up, Alex struggled with the engine over driving so reverted back to a shortstroke to get some laps in. Alex went out with David Howe on a couple of sessions and tried some gating alongside the Elite league star and done well up until the primary chain snapped. So back onto the longstoke with a few alterations and had a few decent run outs until picking up mid 3rd/4th bends and meeting the fence and with both primary & rear chains snapped time to call it a day!
Saturday 2nd February - Mildenhall Postponed
Sunday 3rd February - Newport Postponed
Sunday 10th February - Newport Training
Saturday 16th February - Mildenhall Postponed
Sunday 17th February - Newport
We used this session entirely to practice on the new GM longstroke and after a low key start, Ricky Neale worked with Alex and made changes to the gearing .From then on we seen a big change in the days work and with it producing quicker lap times only to be brought to an abrupt halt at the end of the session when the clutch gearwheel shredded itself along with both chains ( again !)
To coincide with the announcement in the SPEEDWAY STAR ,Internet & Local papers, Alex confirms that Weymouth Promoter Phil Bartlett has asked him to join the Wildcats Conference League squad for season 2008 campaign (more)
Wednesday 27th February - Kings Lynn Training
Thursday 28th February - Kings Lynn Training
We had 2 very good days at Kings Lynn where Alex was able to work along side league riders in getting his overall speed up and experimenting with the longstroke engine set ups for the longer tracks.
He also showed more improvement in his gating
Sunday 2nd March - Sittingbourne Nathan Gaymer Memorial Trophy
Back onto a shortstroke and unfortunately an indifferent day but, never the less, good racing experience in a strong field.
Wednesday 5th March - Poole Press & Practice
Alex only managed to get a couple of sessions at the P&P mainly because of his tumble in the 2nd.
But overall Alex impressed many people with the improvement made over the winter months and was really showing some genuine pace, not only in his practice laps but in a couple of practice races he managed to outgate and push ahead of a couple of good riders to get a couple of 2nd places behind a Premier League standard Dane.
The night came to a premature end when going fast into turn 1, the primary chain snapped and sent him hard into the fence, he was unhurt but walked back to the pits very pleased with his efforts for the evening but disappointed to find that the main bike frame had snapped in half on impact. The third frame to go in so many months and a replacement bill to go with it .
Sunday 9th March - Poole 60th Anniversary meeting
Friday 14th March - Somerset Press & Practice
Unfortunately machinery gremlins took hold on the GM at Somerset for the P&P evening & Academy squad training session after Alex had gone out on his first stint he came back in with loss of power from the engine and curtailed his evening prematurely. On inspection the loss of power was caused by a valve rocker arm breaking up and causing damage to almost every component in the head, Piston, Con Rod and Barrel and unfortunately either a massive rebuild repair or replacement bill ????
Wednesday 26th March - Poole Academy Match Poole Pirates v Somerset Giants ( Challenge )
Alex scores 3 points ( f, 3, 0, f/ex ) for the Pirates Academy team is this challenge match, coming from his first heat win at Wimborne Road !
This was a successful night as Alex showed he is getting up with the others for pace and fell while trying.
Also gating is still improving as he showed a clean pair of heels in his last outing only to be pulled into the fence when drifting out wide under a challenge.
Poole Pirates 18 Somerset Giants 17
Friday 28th March - Somerset Academy Match Somerset Giants v Poole Pirates ( Challenge )
Alex puts has a decent meeting for the Pirates 1 + 1 (f/ex, 1, 0 ) Although only scoring 1 race point from three rides this was another good night on his learning curve.
Alex was, we felt, wrongly excluded from heat one after his tumble because when trying to go around the outside on turn 3, a Somerset rider slowed an clipped Alex sending him into the fence but Academy exclusions always seem to be the rider who falls. However he proved to himself the best way to get over this is by beating the same rider comprehensively in the next race. This was once again a strong field for an Academy match but Alex never looked outclassed all evening and in his last outing, whilst bunched out from the gate, Alex rode under good advice and put in his fastest ever laps around Somerset.
Somerset Giants 18 Poole Pirates 18 ( Agg. Poole Pirates 36 Somerset 35 )
Saturday 29th March - Weymouth Press & Practice
Unfortunately the bad weather put paid to the practice session as such but Alex enjoyed the get together with his Wildcat team mates and the interview and photo sessions.
Dressed in his Wildcats shirt he looked so excited he can't wait for the season to start and to push for a spot in the Conference League.
Sunday 30th March - Eastbourne Training - Cancelled
Wednesday 2nd April - Poole Academy Junior Individual Meeting
Alex managed to finish third in the Final and pick up the £20 prize although it was not exactly one of his best nights riding hampered with a hand injury and not really comfortable with a different clutch set up. But having said that he was in good company and more valuable racing experience.
Saturday 5th April - Poland Unfortunately Alex has had to withdraw from the Academy trip to Poland for several
Sunday 6th April - Poland reasons, none more so than the mechanical problems which need to be
Monday 7th April - Poland addressed for the up and coming season. ( more )
Tuesday 8th April - Poland
Wednesday 9th April - Poland
GM Longstroke rebuilt and put back in chassis just in time to have one of the Jawa shortstrokes serviced
Weymouth 12th April - Weymouth Under 21 qualifier ( Spectating )
Monday 14th April - Reading 2nd half racing
On our first ever ride on the main Reading track we made an error with the gearing on a grippy post meeting track and should have been probably 2 sprocket sizes up.
In his first outing Alex flew from the gate but found the bike was still driving going in to bend 3 and bailed out before he met the airfence. With no time to make gear changes we advanced the ignition right up, hoping to get the machine spinning, but it still wanted to drive into the bends. So a big lesson learned and we will look at the track and conditions more closely next time
Wednesday 16th April - Birmingham Somerset Giants v Birmingham Bulls ( Main Birmingham v Somerset meeting abandoned )
Friday 18th April - Plymouth Debut for Weymouth v Plymouth Devon & Dorset Cup
Alex's debut got his "Wildcats" career of to a miserable start by not only failing to score but after losing the Jawa shortstroke in warm up to oil feed problems, his GM longstroke blew up on the start line of his second race, A WEEK & 2 LAPS after being rebuilt. The blow up was caused by one of the brand new valve caps ( £4 ) breaking in half and the valve dropped destroying the barrel, piston & the head with all its components !!!
Having spent hundreds of pounds on rebuilding the motor its very difficult to take, at this stage of his career, that a failure in a brand new component, costing relatively pennies, can cause complete destruction to an engine and there is no comeback or say warranty on production.
A big learning curve for all of us and we are experiencing what every other Speedway rider has suffered with the modern machines, but once again an unwanted step back and a rethink on engines etc
Saturday 19th April - Weymouth v Plymouth Devon & Dorset Cup - Time curfew stopped after meeting rides
Monday 21st April - Reading 2nd Half racing - Pulled out due to Engine problems
Wednesday 23rd April - Poole Junior Pirates Academy meeting - match postponed as Poole v Eastbourne delayed
Friday 25th April - Weymouth Wildcats v Newport - Challenge match
This was an awful night for Alex with machinery letting him down ( clutch & throttle ) and that in turn sapped his confidence. The Wildcats chalked up their first win of the season over the Newport Mavericks but Alex was disappointed to not been able to have helped in the victory.
After a lot of behind the scenes work we managed to get one machine working to give Alex 2 x 4 laps after the meeting to lift his confidence and to test out the repairs to the machine and as was expected he was quick and rode well. We left the Wessex Stadium hoping we had left a bad month behind and looked forward to rekindling his Conference debut season.
After the dismal machinery problems of late and the ongoing rebuilding of engines, we decided to purchase a Brand new Jawa longstroke engine which was offered to us.
This will go to RNR to be tuned to Alex's needs and we will keep updating on his progress.
Saturday 3rd May - Weymouth v Somerset Giants - Challenge Match
Alex had a mixed night riding at No 7 against the Somerset Giants. In his first heat he stormed from gate 4 to overtake a "Giants" rider on bend 2 and back straight continuing on the outside line round 3 / 4 trying for 2nd spot but caught a bit of grip, lifted slightly and sent him hurtling into the fence at the pit gate. A fall but a great effort !
In his second run out the gremlins hit him as the primary chain snapped on the start line, a quick change onto his second bike ( with an untried brand new longstroke motor ) and the inevitable last place beckoned.
In his third race, back on his No 1 bike, he made a good gate and was chasing down 2nd spot when in lap 3 a "Giants" rider fell on bend 3 / 4 in front of Alex and he had to lay his machine down to quickly to lessen the unavoidable collision. Both lads got up unharmed and the heat was awarded 5 - 1 to the "Wildcats" with Alex getting 2 +1 points.
The damage sustained in his last heat put him back on No2 bike and being a bit eager touched the tapes and was put back on a 15 metres start but, in a good tactical move, Alex was replaced by Tim Webster who went on to win the race. Lots of lessons learnt about the machinery but more importantly about himself in trying to make the big step up to league Speedway.
Monday 5th May - Newport Dragons Club Individual Meeting - Cancelled
Friday 9th May - Somerset "Giants" Academy meeting after Somerset V Rye House match
Unfortunately Alex is trying to get used to the new longstroke and this led to a poorish night scoring 2 points from 3 races and being a bit off the pace, although partially redeeming the night on his last outing where he was on the pace with the others. Dad also realises he might have to work more on getting the set ups right for the Academy meetings where the racing is hurried, and there is no time between races.
Saturday 10th May - Weymouth v Sittingbourne - Conference League ( 2nd Half )
Alex managed to get about 12 laps after the meeting and they were very promising especially as of late he has suffered many machine problems this was a chance to open the throttle up and have blast around the Wessex Stadium under the watchful eye of 'mentor', Ricky Neale. He was fast overall and was pleased himself with the speed he took into the bends.
Wednesday 14th May - Poole Poole Junior Pirates v J.T Commercials Academy Challenge - Rained Off
Saturday 17th